This application makes reference to, incorporates the same herein, and claims all benefits accruing under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7119 from an application for Portable Computer Having Power Supply System Performed By Detachment of Battery Pack earlier filed in the Korean Industrial Property Office on the Nov. 30, 1998 and there duly assigned Ser. No. 51980/1998.
The present invention relates to a portable, battery-operated computer and, more particularly to a portable computer having a power supply system performed by detachment of battery pack.
Small, hand-held, battery-operated personal computers have become well known in a variety of applications, particularly in the area of palmtop-type computers also commonly termed personal digital assistants. One example of such a personal digital assistant (PDA), is the popular NEWTON PDA, models 100, 110, and 120, manufactured by Apple Computer, Inc. of Santa Clara, Calif. (referred to herein as the NEWTON). Briefly, the NEWTON PDA is a hand-held, battery-operated electronic device which is capable of being programmed to receive input data, by means of contacting the screen with an electronic pointer or stylus, i.e. PEN based. The screen of the NEWTON PDA is contact sensitive, such that the stylus may be used to create drawings on the screen, enter handwritten notes, or the like, all of which may be stored in the PDA memory for eventual recall. Further, application software may be executed by the PDA, by entering commands, or invoking application sub-functions, through contacting the PDA screen by the stylus or pen, in designated locations defined by the application.
As with other personal digital assistants, application programs are loaded into the NEWTON by means of a PCMCIA compatible application/memory card, into which the application instruction steps have been coded. Changing an application, is, thus, as simple as removing one PCMCIA card and replacing it with another.
In such a portable computer, a battery pack is provided in the portable computer to supply power without the use of a wire. Generally the power available from batteries is only sufficient to allow operation of the portable computer for a continuous use period of less than about two hours. The battery pack is capable of being attached or detached from a rear side of the portable computer. In such a power supply system that depends on power from the battery pack, a sudden detachment of battery pack from the portable computer may bring about serious damage such as: 1) loss of data, and 2) an occurrence of a system error.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,920,728 for a Dynamic Hibernation Time In A Computer System to Hallowell et al discusses storing hibernation files in a hard disk when a battery pack operated portable computer enters a suspend mode before power interruption. Hallowell et al mentions in the Background of the Invention section that the Intel 486 SL will save data to a hard disk when entering suspend mode, the suspend mode triggered by a period of inactivity of the computer. Hallowell et al seeks to improve upon the Intel 486 SL by saving a hibernation file into a hard disk when the battery capacity drops below a predetermined threshold indicating that exhaustion of battery power is forthcoming. Nevertheless, Hallowell does not discuss storing system data onto a hard disk drive upon detachment of a battery pack from a portable computer.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a portable computer capable of preventing 1) losses of data and 2) the occurrence of a system error when the battery pack is detached from the portable computer.
It is further an object to place the portable computer in a suspend mode where system data can be stored to a non-volatile memory before power is entirely shut off to the portable computer upon removal of a battery pack from the portable computer.
It is further an object to provide a technique for removing a battery pack from a portable computer whereby mechanical levers on the portable computer are moved between an open and a closed position, causing both an electrical switch to temporarily place the portable computer in a suspend mode allowing for storage of system data into a non-volatile memory and a mechanical separation of the battery pack from the portable computer.
In order to attain the above objects, according to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a portable computer having a power management system capable of decreasing power consumption by differentially supplying power according to power management mode, including a base having internally a storage means and at least one opening; a battery pack coupled to the base to supply power and having at least one lug inserted into the at least one opening; at least one lever coupled to the base and latching the at least one lug; a switch disposed on the base, wherein the switch generates a signal of operating the power management system when the at least one lever is separated from the at least one lug.
In the present portable computer, wherein operating of the power management system means that the system data are stored in the storage means, then all power supplied in the portable computer is interrupted, wherein the storage means is a non-volatile memory.
According to another aspect of this invention, there is provided a portable computer having a power management system capable of decreasing power consumption by differentially supplying power according to power management mode, including a base provided with a first opening and a second opening and having an internal non-volatile memory; a battery pack coupled to the base to supply a power and having a first lug inserted into the first opening and a second lug inserted into the second opening; a first lever coupled to the base and latching the first lug inserted into the first opening; a second lever coupled to the base and latching the second lug inserted into the second opening; and a switch provided in the base, wherein the switch generates a signal to operate the power management system by a contact of at least one of said first lever and said second lever when one or both of said levers are separated from their respective lugs, wherein the signal indicates that the system data is stored in the non-volatile memory, then all power supplied in the portable computer is interrupted, whereby the system data is stored in the non-volatile memory and all power is completely turned off when the battery pack is detached from the base.